Apparatus for handling heavy slabs and other material



March 27, 1951 T. K. GRAHAM 395469352 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HEAVY SLABS AND OTHER MATERIAL Filed Dec. 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 750m /2. fire/3am PM PM, w y 15W ATTORNEYS March 27, 1951 T. K. GRAHAM 2,546,362

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HEAVY SLABS AND OTHER MATERIAL Filed Dec. 29, 1948 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Tfiamas 1 Graham BY PM EMMA ad- 015mm ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HEAVY SLABS I:

fi 7 AND OTHER MATER Thomas K. Graham, Great Falls, Mont., assignor to Anaconda Copper Mining Company, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Montana Application December 29, 1948, Serial N 0. 67,966

This invention relates to portable apparatus for handling heavy slabs and other heavy material. Itis particularly adapted for easing the labor involved in unloading heavy copper slabs or cakes from railway boxcars in which they are shipped, but it is suitable for a variety of other uses as well.

The new apparatus comprises a horizontal frame in such position that its center of curvature is on the axis (or on a projection of the axis) of the hoist track pivot. Rollers riding on the roller track and secured to the hoist track are provided for supporting the hoist track while yet permitting it to be moved laterally through an are about its pivot point. A hoist is carried by rollers engaging the hoist track, whereby the hoist may be moved back and forth along the-"hoist track. Slab-handling apparatus (or other material-handling apparatus) is suspended from the hoist, and is arranged to be lifted or lowered thereby. The combination of moveinents of hoist along the hoist track, and of hoist "track through an are about its pivot point, enablesbringing the slab-handling apparatus directly over any :point underlyingthe segment off' a circle that'is traversed by movement of the "track hoist about its pivot. -'Qne or more stabilizing rods are mounted'for -'v'rtic'al movement in guides at the rear of the frame of the apparatus, and are so arranged that they may be raised above the frame into en- '-=gageinent with the roof of the boxcar or other "roofed-over workin space within which the apparatus is used. Locking means, such as set 'sc're'ws, are provided for holding the stabilizing rodsin such raised position. The stabilizing rods prevent the apparatus from being upset when a heavy slab (or other heavy object) is lifted by the hoist at the projecting end of the I-beam, and thereby enables making the apparatus light .imweight so that it is easy to move about.

- LA' preferred embodiment of thejnew apparatus isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which .Fig. 1 is a plan of the apparatus in position inside a railway boxcar to facilitate unloading cast metal slabs;

2 Claims. (01. 2 12 17 frame in an elevated positionwell above the floor [6 of the boxcar I l in which it is shown in the drawings. sides and rear of the apparatus are provided to at the front of the frame.

prises a horizontal rectangular frame having a front frame member Ill, side frame members II, and a rear frame member I2. These frame members advantageously-are lengths of pipe welded together (or joined by pipe fittings), into. the

rectangular form shown. The frame is braced at its rear corners by diagonal braces 13.:

Front legs l4 and rear legs I 5 support the Diagonal leg braces l8 at the strengthen the attachment of the legs to the frame. No leg braces are provided at the front because in such position they would limit the work-area covered by the apparatus. The legs and diagonal braces, like the frame, are advantageously of ordinary steel secured in place by welding or by pipe fittings. The legs are mounted on wheel casters IQ so that the apparatus may easily be rolled into or from the working position where it is to be used. Short removable sections 20 are screw-threaded tothe lower ends of the legs [4 just above the casters .19. Removal of these sections reduces the height .of the apparatus to permit moving it through low doorways or to perm-it using it in areas with a roof that is lower than normal.

Suspended just below the horizontalframe; of

the apparatus is a hoist track in the formof an I-beam 2I. This I-beamis provided at its rear end with a pivot bracket 22. A verticalpivot pin 23 passes through a hole provided for itin the bracket. The pivot pin is welded or; otherwise firmly attached to an angle iron 24 which 'inturn is welded or otherwise fastened to the bottom of the rear f farne member 12.- A nut;25

supports the rear end pivot pin.

A horizontal roller track 26 is ;secured in place This roller track (which advantageously is a length of pipe similar to that used for making the frame) is curved to of the -I-beam ;on, the

the shape of an arc of a circle, and is mounted so that its center of curvature lies on the axis (or a projection of the axis) of the pivot pin 23. By welding the roller track to the front and side frame members it and H it serves effectively to brace the frame.

A trolley bracket 21 is attached to the upper surface of the I-beam 2! at a point underlying the roller track 25. Rollers 28 fastened to the bracket engage with the roller track and suspend the I-beam therefrom. It is evident that this construction permits the I-beam to be swung laterally about its pivot mounting on the pin 23 through an are from one end to the other of the curved roller track 26.

A hoist crawl 29 is supported by rollers 3E] on the I-beam 2 l, and may be moved from one end to the other thereof. The pivot bracket 22 acts as a stop preventing movement of the crawl 29 beyond the rear end of the I-beam; and a stop 3i may be provided to prevent the crawl from running off the front end 32 of the I-beam (which projects well beyond the front frame member The crawl 29 supports a hoist 33, which may be motivated by compressed air or electricity. Suspended from the hoist is a pair of tongs 3 3 which heavy slabs may be grasped. The tongs may be raised or lowered by energizing or de-energizing the hoist motor.

A pair of stabilizing rods 35 are provided one at each rear corner of the horizontal frame to prevent the apparatus from upsetting when a heavy slab or other article is lifted. As best shown in Fig. 5, these rods are mounted for sliding up and down in vertical guides. 36 which are welded or otherwise attached to the rear legs l5. The stabilizing rods thus may be raised above the frame into engagement with the roof 3? of the boxcar or other rigid overhead structure. Set screws 38 provided with handles 38 for easy manipulation are threaded into one or more of the tubular guides 36 for locking the stabilizing .rods in any desired position within the limit of their scope of movement. The lower ends of the stabilizing rods 35 are advantageously bent horizontally to form handles 48 by which the rods may be raised or lowered when the set, screws 38 are loosened.

A typical use of the new apparatus for aiding in unloading heavy cast slabs ll of copper from the boxcar H is described below:

The apparatus, with stabilizing rods 35 lowered about to the level of the rear frame member l2, is rolled on its casters I9 from the unloading dock into the interior of the boxcar, and is manipulated into position so that its front frame member l0 faces'the rows of slabs 4| to be unloaded. The light construction of the frame enables it to be maneuvered manually without diiiiculty. When it has been located in the desired position, the

' stabilizing rods 35 are raised against the roof 31 -'of the boxcarand the set screws 38 are tightened to lock the rods in this raised position. The I-beam is then swung laterally to a position such that the crawl 29 may be moved therealong into a position directly overlying the first slab to be removed. When this has been done, the tongs 34 are lowered and caused to grasp the slab, after which the slab is raised by the hoist from the floor of the car. The crawl is then pushed back along the I-beam, and the latter is swung laterally, until the slab is brought into position where it nlay be laid across a pair of wooden blocks 42. After depositing the slab on these blocks, which are advantageously arranged directly beneath the center of the horizontal frame, the operation is repeated to lift the next slab in position for unloading and to deposit it on the blocks; and so on.

When enough slabs have been deposited on the blocks 42 to build a stack 43 of desired size, the stack is removed from the car by a fork-lift truck 44. The legs I l and I5 are. long enough and far enough apart tov allow the truck to pass between them and under the frame. Thereafter a new stack is built on the blocks 42 in the same manner as before.

After unloading all of the slabs that can be reached conveniently by the tongs 34 with the apparatus in the position in which it was first located, the set screws 38 are loosened, the stabilizing rods 35 are lowered, and the apparatus is moved into a new position permitting unloading work to proceed on a further group of slabs. In this new position the stabilizing rods are again raised into engagement with the roof of the car, and unloadingoperations are resumed.

The new apparatus greatly expedites the unloading of heavy slabs from boxcars and like work requiring the handling of heavy articles. The apparatus is simple to construct and its lightness makes it easy to maneuver by hand into any desired working position. Notwithstanding its lightness, the stabilizing rods prevent it from being upset even when a heavy article is lifted by the. hoist at the extreme outer end of the I-beam.

The apparatus has been described with particular reference to the handling of heavy copper slabs, but it is equally well suited for handling a wide variety of other heavy articles. It has been described and is shown in the drawings as equipped with tongs. for handling slabs, but it is apparent that the tongs may be replaced by a hook, an excavator bucket, or any other type of material-handling apparatus that is best suited to the nature of the material being handled. Mention herein made to slab-handling is therefore to be construed as contemplating the handling of materials in other forms as well.

I claim: 1

1. Portable apparatus for handling heavy slabs or the like in a roofed-over working space comprising a light-weight horizontal frame supported in an elevated position ona plurality of legs, a horizontal I-beam pivotally secured at one end to the rear of said frame with its other end projecting beyond the front thereof, a circularly curved horizontal roller track secured to the front of the frame with its center of curvature on the axis of the I-beam pivot, rollers secured to the I-beam and riding on the roller track, whereby the I-beam may be moved laterally through an are about its pivot, a hoist supported on rollers engaging the I-beam and movable therealong, slab-handling apparatus suspended from the hoist for being lifted and lowered thereby, at least one guide secured to the frame at the rear-thereof, a stabilizing rod mounted for vertical movement in the guide, whereby said rod may be raised against the roof over the working space, and means supported by said frame for locking the rod in such raised position to prevent upsetting of the frame when a heavy slab islifted by the hoist at the projecting end of the I-beam.

2. Portable apparatus for handling heavy slabs or the like in boxcars comprising a light-weight rectangular frame, legs at the corners of said frame supporting it in an elevated position, wheels on the legs to facilitate moving the. ap-

(5 paratus into working position, a horizontal I- track and is movable laterally through an are .5.

about its pivot, a hoist supported on rollers engaging the I-beam and movable therealong, slabhandling apparatus suspended from the hoist and arranged to be lifted and lowered thereby, a pair of guides secured to the frame one at each rear corner thereof, a stabilizing rod mounted for vertical movement in each guide, whereby said rods may be raised against the boxcar roof to prevent upsetting of the apparatus when a heavy i 6 slab is lifted by the hoist at the projecting end of the I-beam, and set screws supported by said guides and adapted to be tightened against said rods for holding the rods securely in a raised position.

THOMAS K. GRAHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 382,872 Hardy May 15, 1888 544,479 Davy Aug. 13, 1895 1,368,289 Post Feb. 15, 1921 1,395,749 Thorn Nov. 1, 1921 2.095.295 Smith et a1 Oct. 12, 1937 

